Compass is pleased to announce that Ken Blackwell, LSCS, CHSP, has joined the firm as a Senior Consultant, with a focus on Life Safety and the Environment of Care. A former Joint Commission surveyor, Ken has surveyed nearly 600 healthcare organizations, including military hospitals and Veterans Health Administration facilities. He brings to Compass nearly 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry, with expertise in the accreditation and regulatory standards and a commitment to continuous quality improvement.

As infection prevention challenges evolve—such as emerging infectious organisms and resistance—healthcare organizations must focus on preventing hospital acquired infections and ensuring better patient outcomes. To achieve these goals, Infection Prevention professionals must be involved in all decisions affecting the delivery of patient care. Healthcare is ever-changing, and innovative approaches are critical as we look to the future of infection prevention.

Did you know that, almost hidden away in the Conditions of Participation, there is an oft-overlooked requirement that is ideal for increasing medical staff involvement and improving practice evaluation?

Congratulations to Becker’s Healthcare’s 100 great community hospitals in 2018! Many of the hospitals have been recognized for their clinical quality, operational excellence and economic impact on the surrounding areas.

A growing number of hospital and health system CEOs are turning to interim executive talent to fill temporary vacancies in leadership, achieve significant change in a department or mentor in-house managers.

Compass Clinical Consulting has been acquired by TiER1 Performance Solutions, a strategy activation firm that improves organizations through the performance of people. Together, we strengthen our ability to develop people-centric solutions that improve healthcare delivery across the nation.

The Joint Commission is the latest healthcare heavy-hitter to call for better protection of healthcare workers, announcing the creation of Sentinel Event Alert 59, which addresses violence—physical and verbal—against healthcare workers.

About 75% of workplace assaults occur in the healthcare and social service sector each year, and healthcare workers are four times more likely than others to take time off because of violence-related injuries. The Joint Commission is the latest healthcare heavy-hitter to call for better protections, announcing the creation of Sentinel Event Alert (SEA) 59, which addresses violence—physical and verbal—against healthcare workers.

The Joint Commission (TJC) has approved a new requirement intended to reduce newborn identification errors. Starting January 1, 2019, hospitals and critical access hospitals that provide labor and delivery services will be subject to this new element of performance at National Patient Safety Goal NPSG.01.01.01, EP 3.

Most surgical fires occur in oxygen-enriched environments. When supplemental oxygen is delivered to a patient in an operating room, an oxygen-enriched environment can be created. Read more about the FDA’s recommendations for reducing the risk of surgical fires and related patient injury.